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Makerspaces are now a common feature in many public libraries in the United States. However, there has been little research into how these spaces function for adults with disabilities. In this study, qualitative data were collected from patrons with disabilities and public librarians through online focus groups, interviews, and an online survey to address this gap in knowledge. Findings speak to the needs of a significant subset of public library patrons, describe current practices in public library makerspaces, and suggest areas for implementing more inclusive practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the 2024 ALSC Advocacy Challenge, encouraging members to engage in advocacy efforts beyond their usual networks. Topics include strategies for reaching out to individuals outside of the library profession who share similar values, such as inclusion and equity. Efforts demonstrate how advocacy can effectively expand library outreach and community impact.

This article explores how the notion of participation informs policy documents in a public library context. Library users are expected to manage on their own, to a large extent, as society calls for self-governing, active subjects who are willing to participate. To explore this notion of participation, we utilize the concept of problematization and analyze policy documents regarding the public libraries of Copenhagen, Denmark, and Malmö, Sweden. Although all of the documents are concerned with participation and user involvement, they have different points of departure and call upon different rationalities. Whereas the outlined policies of the Malmö libraries problematize social inclusion, the Copenhagen libraries primarily problematize inefficiency. Despite this contrast, increased participation seems to be the proposed solution in the policy documents of both cities. An analysis of these documents shows the complex and sometimes contradictory meaning of the concept of participation, depending on which rationality is put into play. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Steven Bell's "Academic Librarians' C-Word Problem" recommends that to improve customer service academic librarians like public librarians call their users "customers." This column argues that academic library users should not be called customers for a variety of reasons. Primarily, the goals of public and academic libraries differ. Public libraries seek to discover their users' wants and meet them. Academic libraries, in contrast, aim to teach and support their users' educational growth. Calling an academic library patron a customer implies that individual wants can take precedence over educational needs and that students should have influence over classroom instruction and curricular content. Steven Bell and I agree on the importance of customer service, but I believe that it is defined differently in public and academic libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the gap between decreased budgetary allocation and the need to sustain free and improved quality public library services continues to increase, librarians are expected to think more innovatively about how to bridge this gap while ensuring the notion of free public library services is not compromised. This study aimed to investigate revenue mobilization and the sustainability of free public library services in Ghana. The study adopts a multiple case study approach, exploiting the advantages of the use of a combination of varied data collection techniques using 3 Regional Public libraries in Ghana to enhance representativeness. The data was collected from some major stakeholders, including Head Librarians, library staff and patrons of public libraries using questionnaires and qualitative interview sessions. Purposive and convenience sampling techniques were employed in selecting respondents for the study. Descriptive statistics, inferential statistics and thematic analysis were deployed as analytical tools to examine the data. Based on the findings of the study, the researchers conclude that the challenge is in tracking down the elusive mix of fee-based services that deliver more than they take away. We therefore, admonish that those who still preach against fee-based services on moral grounds accept the reality that seeking alternative funding (beyond government's subventions) to sustain public library services has become a Hobson's choice to most public librarians. Recommendations are also proffered in mitigating the present challenges affecting service delivery in public libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In life, people form impressions of and make inferences about other people as sovereign personalities which is social perception. This study therefore investigated the impression of and the inferences about public libraries and librarians by the users as a catalyst of transformation. The study adopted a descriptive survey design with users of public libraries in Ebonyi State Nigeria forming the population of the study. The study was guided by 5 research question while one null hypothesis was tested. A sampled population of 762 was drawn using Research Advisor table for selecting samples. The primary instruments used in collecting data for the study are a 4-point Likert scale type of questionnaire and oral interview. Using Cronbach Alpha, the questionnaire pre-tested yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.75 whereas data collected with the aid of SPSS 23.0 were analyzed using percentages, tables, mean and standard deviation and the hypotheses analyzed using Pearson Product moment correlation with a criterion mean of 2.50 used for decision. The outcome of this study reveals that librarians are socially perceived and placed at the lowest ebb of the professional strata and to certain level underestimate the level of training required for one to become a librarian. The crown glory is that the users recognized and appreciated the all important role of the public library and librarians as catalyst of transformation. Based on the findings, recommendations were made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many public libraries receive challenges from patrons, when patrons request that certain materials be removed or relocated through a formal process. However, many other public libraries avoid this fraught situation. The differences between these libraries is not clear--why do some libraries face patron challenges while other libraries do not? To address this question, the authors sought interviews with children's and teen librarians in public libraries who had never dealt with patron challenges. Twenty-five telephone interviews were conducted, transcribed, and analyzed with DeDoose software, which allows for iterative team web-based coding. The qualitative coding revealed three predominant themes. Librarians discussed their collections, their patrons, and their actions as librarians in their attempts to explain their lack of challenges. We analyze these interpretations and suggest future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this exploratory study, the researchers examine the intersection of teens with autism as public library users, their perceptions of and experiences with cyberbullying, and the potential role of public librarians in providing relevant digital citizenship programming. Results from this study indicate that teens on the autism spectrum live rich digital lives and have experience with both sides of cyberbullying, or digital drama. This study suggests that teens are willing to answer questions about their digital lives and demonstrate a desire to learn more about best practices in navigating the online environment, especially when learning alongside peers. Practical implications based in inclusion are given for public librarians seeking to implement digital citizenship education for the communities they serve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While libraries are operating offline, adapting to local conditions and circumstances, library users can access library services online from anywhere in the world, as libraries themselves have online access to the services of any other library in the world. The library image of Hungarian society is based on rather conservative, old stereotypes. Libraries need to continually justify their existence to society, and this is reinforced by their users being satisfied with the quality and diversity of library services. Librarians are constantly looking for ways of renewal. The challenges faced are as follows: libraries can be central players and platforms for lifelong learning, for developing the digital literacy of the local population and for community building. Public libraries strive to succeed through creative use of grant resources, involvement in national digitization projects, and librarians are seeking new types of competencies. As an experienced public librarian, the author illustrates these aspirations toward expanding services (trainings to improve the IT skills of the population, introduction of a creative spaces, etc.) through practices partly from his own library and partly from its network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholarly or research-based journal articles related to public librarianship and public libraries are posited in previous literature as not being useful to the public library practitioner, and potentially less valuable to the researcher than other forms of research. Building off previous research, this article explores journal-based public library research literature to determine the trends in authorship, coverage, and venues. Publication venues are relatively static, with Public Library Quarterly and Library Quarterly publishing most public library research literature. LIS educators and public librarians dominate authorship of public library research, and the topical coverage of that research is gradually evolving in response to new technologies and a renewed focus on user services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An online survey distributed to librarians at public libraries across North America established some interesting trends in public librarians’ perceptions of ebooks and teens. Some of the findings of this study are that teen library users strongly prefer to read print books for their recreational reading and show very little interest in ebooks or ebook programs offered by public libraries. Survey respondents indicate that teen library users remain largely unaware of or disinterested in the advantages of ebooks in providing them a convenient, private, and customizable recreational reading experience. Even when public librarians offer ebook programs for teens through school outreach, these programs tend to focus on the titles in the collection and the download process, rather than the specific benefits of ebook reading. More active promotion of these advantages could potentially appeal to teens, especially to non-library users and reluctant readers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The purpose of this survey was to investigate the perceptions that public librarians have of their user populations with regard to serious mental illness and its relationship to homelessness. The results found that a large number of public librarians experience concerns about the impact of such users upon other users and about the potential violence in these populations. Public librarians who took the survey expressed an interest in learning more about serious mental illness and a wish to achieve greater awareness of serious mental illness that could help them in their interactions with users who are experiencing serious mental illness. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The study investigated the factors hampering access to and use of public library (urban and rural) services in Nigeria. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods were employed through the administration of a questionnaire to users in both urban and rural public libraries in Nigeria and conducting interviews with the public librarians. The objectives of the study centred on identifying awareness and utilisation of library services, including utilisation patterns. The study also sought to investigate levels of satisfaction among users as well as make recommendations for improved service delivery. The population was the registered public library user group from which 394 users were randomly sampled from twelve purposively selected libraries - two from each of the six regions. The respondents were mainly an educated male user group representing a wide variety of occupations. Awareness of services was restricted to a few services, and accessibility to the major library services was found to be a challenge to many. Utilisation patterns indicated infrequent use of only a few services, and very low satisfaction with what is being offered. Challenges identified included unawareness of services, too few copies of materials and lack of information literacy skills. Recommendations included the enhancement of community participation in decision-making concerning services, that relevant and enough materials be supplied, and that effective marketing be employed to improve access and to promote services among users and potential users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Like all public libraries, rural public libraries in the Appalachian region can play a significant role in the economic development of their communities. Economic development in rural communities potentially benefit from many of the same resources and services all enjoy at public libraries, including free and public Internet access, space, education, question answering, and materials on many business-related subjects. This article reports survey findings of current activities that rural public libraries perform in one state, namely the state of Tennessee, as a case study to apply the lessons and insights to other parts of the United States. The discussion includes assessment of activities and some recommendations to streamline and stimulate all public libraries in conducting this assistance efficiently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We assessed health care providers' perspectives on libraries as a source of health information and elicited input on how to adequately prepare public librarians to provide health information services. Sample text-based reference transactions were shown to determine whether they think the health inquiries were adequately answered. Results showed that participants had favorable perspectives about public libraries, and thought that the public librarians' role includes addressing the health literacy community needs. Participants provided recommendations for public librarians to improve health literacy. To enhance the ability of public librarians to meet the health literacy needs of their communities, diverse perspectives such as health care providers should be included in the development of a future training curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While libraries are operating offline, adapting to local conditions and circumstances, library users can access library services online from anywhere in the world, as libraries themselves have online access to the services of any other library in the world. The library image of Hungarian society is based on rather conservative, old stereotypes. Libraries need to continually justify their existence to society, and this is reinforced by their users being satisfied with the quality and diversity of library services. Librarians are constantly looking for ways of renewal. The challenges faced are as follows: libraries can be central players and platforms for lifelong learning, for developing the digital literacy of the local population and for community building. Public libraries strive to succeed through creative use of grant resources, involvement in national digitization projects, and librarians are seeking new types of competencies. As an experienced public librarian, the author illustrates these aspirations toward expanding services (trainings to improve the IT skills of the population, introduction of a creative spaces, etc.) through practices partly from his own library and partly from its network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]